Freesias
by The Noble French Fry
Summary: What is Mal getting Inara for her birthday? [Oneshot. PostSerenity, so mild spoilers]


This story was for the Mal/Inara ficathon, and I was actually the back-up writer, as the original one could not complete her assignment. Thus I only had a week or so to write it, and I really wanted to get it done in a couple of days. So it's short, and for that, I apologize.

**Title:** Freesias  
**Rating:** G  
**Story Prompts:** flowers, trust, "I'd like a friendship fic as opposed to romance" (optional)  
**Story FOR:** **hannasus** as part of the Mal/Inara ficathon  
**Categories:** friendship fic  
**Characters:** Mal, Inara, Kaylee, a very tiny bit of Zoe and River  
**Timeline:** POST-Serenity (minor spoilers)  
**Length:** just over 1,200 words... I didn't have time to make it longer  
**Description:** What's Mal getting Inara for her birthday? (yes, I know the idea has been done a million times, but it's all I could come up with on such sort notice)  
**Note:** The meaning of freesias are innocence, trust and frienship. I thought they were very appropriate.

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**_Sincerest thanks to_**: hannasus for the challenge, and the One from whom all inspiration and ideas come.

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**Freesias**

"Y'know, tomorrow's 'Nara's birthday, Cap'n."

A bit startled by the sudden statement after having worked on _Serenity_'s engine in silence for so long, Mal reflexively glanced down in the direction from whence it had come.

"Wha's that, lil Kaylee?" he asked.

Poking her head out from under the engine, the mechanic repeated her previous statement. "I said tomorrow's 'Nara's birthday."

Mal nodded. "I knows that. 's why we're settin' down on Beaumonde. So's she can have herself some fun planetside." _If'n Companions can even do that_, he mentally added.

"And so's we can buy her some half decent gifts," Kaylee added.

He shrugged nonchalantly, though he knew that much was true too. "Reckon so."

"What're you gonna get 'Nara, Cap'n?"

He hadn't really given it much thought. What could he possibly get for the Companion who likely had everything, anyway? The answer appeared to be _nothing_. After a moment with Kaylee staring at him with that expectant look on her face, he said, "Got no idea."

"No idea!" Kaylee cried. "Cap'n, you gotta get her somethin'!"

"I knows that," he replied evenly. "I jus' got no idea _what _to give her, Kaylee. 's not easy buyin' for someone like 'Nara."

The young mechanic's brow furrowed in thought for a moment. "I heard her sayin' the other day how she'd love to find some freesias out here. Says she'd love to spruce up her shuttle a bit with 'em."

"Freesias?" Mal asked. "Wha's that?"

"Flowers, Cap'n," Kaylee responded. "Freesias 're flowers."

Eyebrows rising, Mal said, "Flowers? Ain't never heard tell of flowers called freesias."

"Well, they's flowers," she replied. "And they're 'Nara's favorites, too."

"Oh," Mal answered. "Di'n't know that."

Kaylee slid back under the engine. "Obviously, Cap'n." After a moment of the sounds of her work meeting Mal's ears she added, "I think ya should try 'n' buy 'Nara some freesias for her birthday, Cap'n. She'd love it."

He thought about it. Buying Inara flowers for her birthday? Didn't that seem a bit… odd? And possibly roma--- No, he wasn't going there. "Ya think so?" he asked.

"I know so," Kaylee responded. "I'm sure you can find a florist on Beaumonde with freesias. Shouldn't be too hard to buy some flowers for 'Nara. 'n' jus' so you knows, yellow ones 'n' red ones 're her favorite."

Mal made a mental note of that. Yellow and red. He could do that.

----

Scowling, Mal stumbled along trying to drop any of the pots of flowers in his arms. Along with the rest of the crew, he'd headed into town a couple of hours ago. They'd split into three groups to go their own ways: the women folk had gone off to shop as a celebration of Inara's birthday—even Zoë!---no one knew for sure where Jayne had gone (and no one really wanted to know), and Mal had been left all by his lonesome to get Inara's flowers.

When he'd finally found a gorram florist, he'd had to struggle with the salesperson about the amount he wanted. He'd gone in just for a single bouquet, but the salesman had insisted on at least two. And then the pest hadn't allowed Mal to just take the arrangements right out of the store, but had insisted on delivery.

And so he'd given the number to _Serenity_'s docking space at the spaceport, and returned to his ship to wait.

Upon the arrival of the delivery, Mal abruptly found out that when he'd ordered two bouquets of freesias—half yellow, half red—the salesman had taken that to mean two _hundred_. That's right: Mal had two hundred bouquets of freesias on _Serenity_.

One hundred yellow bouquets, one hundred red.

And not only that, he had to move them to Inara's shuttle all by himself.

The men who had delivered them had stubbornly refused to move them anywhere but into the cargo bay from their truck. They absolutely would not help him move them up the stairs and into Inara's shuttle, and he seriously considered pulling his gun out and forcing them to help.

In the end, though, he just heaved a giant sigh and started to work. After all, it wouldn't do to have the womenfolk come back and Inara see all of the flowers sitting around in the cargo bay instead of in her shuttle where they should be.

It was getting to be more than a little bit frustrating, and though he'd stumbled a few times, he had managed to keep from dropping any bouquets. Not one.

It took him almost _two hours_ to move all of the flowers into Inara's shuttle, and when he had that done, he began arranging them around the room so they didn't look completely overwhelming. That way, Inara would be less angry with him when she walked in and saw the totally insane state of her shuttle.

He wanted her to be pleasantly surprised, not angrily.

----

"Yes, Kaylee, I'd love some cake," Inara responded, smiling at the younger woman. "I'll be right there to help you as soon as I put my bags in my shuttle."

She parted ways with Kaylee, Zoë and River as those three headed towards the galley and she set up the stairs to her shuttle. She could've sworn she saw Kaylee and River exchange a very amused glance and Kaylee giggled, but she paid it no mind as she topped the stairs and opened the door to her shuttle.

Walking in, she ran directly into something, hard enough that she was knocked backwards onto her butt as she dropped every single one of her shopping bags. She hit the floor with a graceless thud, glancing up to see what she'd run into.

It was Mal.

"Mal!" she protested.

He quickly grabbed her hand and pulled her to her feet, gathering her shopping bags and handing them back. "Sorry, 'Nara. Di'n't see ya."

She caught him by the arm roughly before he ran off. "Mal, what were you doing in my shuttle? Were you—?"

"I'm innocent, I swears," he quickly interrupted. "Trust me, I di'n't do nothin'."

"I'm so sure," she spat sarcastically, hurrying in to see what he had done.

When she got in to survey her shuttle, she was greeted by a very strong floral scent and a sea of yellow and red. A real sea. The flowers were everywhere! Really and truly everywhere!

The tea table was covered, the bed was covered, the floor was littered with bouquets of them…

Startled, she gasped.

"Gorram florist mucked up the order," Mal muttered behind her. "Weren't s'posed to be so many."

For a long moment, Inara was speechless. She took the nearest bouquet in her hands, running her fingertips lightly over the petals of the flowers. Freesias. Her favorite.

She slowly reclaimed her voice. "Mal… What is this?"

"Freesias," he answered shyly. "Kaylee says they's your favorite. Birthday present. Sorry there's so gorram many. Weren't my fault."

"Mal, I love them!" she replied, bringing a single flower to her nose for a sniff. "Thank you."

He smiled. "You're welcome. Sees? I told ya I was innocent. If'n ya'd just trust me…"

"Ha!" she responded. "Dumping probably three hundred bouquets of freesias in my shuttle isn't innocent, Mal." She smiled at him. "Oh, and ironically, the meaning of freesias are innocence, trust and friendship."

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**Please review.**


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